Texico sophomore scores
ALBUQUERQUE - Texico sophomore Elizabeth Richards scored 12 points during the first day of the New Mexico state track meet, winning the Class 2A girls' high jump and finishing second in the long jump.

Perryton notches 5-2 victory
It took the Perryton Rangers a short while to get started, but once they did they rolled in typical Perryton fashion - adequate pitching, timely hitting and aggressive baserunning.

Verden putting fall behind her
Brooke Verden remembers little about the 100-meter hurdles race two years ago at the UIL Class 1A state track meet in Austin.

Greater Southwest Music Festival Results
The following groups and solo performers won outstanding and first-division marks in the Greater Southwest Music Festival by press time Thursday, as submitted by the GSWMF office. More results will run this week in the Amarillo Globe-News.

Guymon man acquitted in girlfriend's killing
GUYMON, Okla. - A Guymon man on trial for killing his girlfriend with a handgun was acquitted Wednesday night after the jury deliberated for just more than two hours, the assistant district attorney said Thursday.

Two killed in accident near Guymon
FOUR CORNERS, Okla. - Two Lakin, Kan., residents died Wednesday afternoon when a tractor-trailer collided with a car at the intersection of U.S. Highway 64 and State Highway 95, a Guymon Department of Public Safety dispatcher said.

ENMU, Clovis college unveil partnership pact
CLOVIS, N.M. - The presidents of Clovis Community College and Eastern New Mexico University announced this week that they have reached a partnership agreement to offer upper-division education classes on the community college campus.

Relay for Life honors survivors in cancer battle
CLOVIS - More than 1,000 people will unite tonight in Clovis for a common cause: to battle cancer, to honor those who have survived and those who have lost their lives to cancer and to raise awareness and money to aid the fight.

Man found guilty in Tulia murder
TULIA - David Earl Johnson Jr. was found guilty of manslaughter late Friday in a murder trial that began on Monday, the Swisher County District Clerk's office said.

State to decide Tuesday on SPS probe
AUSTIN - State regulators will decide Tuesday whether to continue looking into allegations that Southwestern Public Service Co. fuel contractors defrauded SPS customers or to accept a hearing examiner's findings that there's no evidence of fraud.

Highway drug bust nets speed, heroin
MELROSE - A rural New Mexico man who was driving near Melrose on Wednesday night was arrested on narcotics trafficking charges after police officers found a large amount of methamphetamine and black tar heroin inside his vehicle, Curry County Sheriff's Deputy Tommy Reese said.

Clovis woman tapped for summit
CLOVIS - A Clovis woman is among three New Mexicans who have been selected by U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., to attend the "Partnerships for a Growing America" congressional business summit next month, according to a news release.

Body found near Vega identified
VEGA - The Oldham County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the death of an Ada, Okla., man whose body was found two miles east of Vega on Wednesday, Oldham County Sheriff David T. Medlin said Thursday.

Tax appraisals arrive days before election
The arrival of tax appraisals is giving Amarillo residents a peak at what a larger tax bill would look like, just in time for them to go to the polls to vote on a proposition that would raise their taxes.

Church, residents clash over zoning
Disputes between a local church and residents over a tract of land found their way to the City Commission Tuesday, and still remains unsettled.

AISD honors top teachers of year
Amarillo Independent School District honored its top teachers and announced the 1999-2000 secondary and elementary Teachers of the Year at the 18th annual Teacher Appreciation Breakfast Thursday.

'Love bug' virus affects SPS, AISD
The computer security department at Southwestern Public Service Co. detected the "love bug" virus within the company's e-mail system Thursday and immediately shut it down.

JP indicted on oppression charges
A grand jury has indicted Potter County Justice of the Peace Marvin Dean Mitchell on two misdemeanor counts of official oppression for allegedly sexually harassing a teen-age girl involved in a truancy case.

Mexican holiday to spice weekend
A Mexican national holiday can spice up your Panhandle-area weekend as three Amarillo organizations kick off Cinco de Mayo festivities today. PM

Nothing is simple with government
Robert from the Amarillo area wrote me that his mom, age 72, has suffered from depression ever since his father's death over a year ago.

Bulletin Board
Folks up in Wisconsin might see cows just a little different than some of us. PM

Ex-Amarillo residents' remains to be buried
As their son, Marion Bristow, moves toward a trial for killing them in Chile, the remains of former Borger and Amarillo residents Gene and Patsy Bristow will be buried in Santa Fe, N.M., today.

Research: Drivers cause more deaths
Drunken parents and caregivers are more likely to cause the death of children in motor vehicle accidents than drunken strangers, government research suggests. PM

Curry agrees to guarantee part of cheese company loan
CLOVIS, N.M. - Plans for the Clovis Cheese Company took another step forward Thursday afternoon, when the Curry County Commission unanimously agreed to help guarantee part of a federal loan for the not-yet-built facility.

PETA's getting more boring than naughty
Let me get this straight . . . PETA, the animal rights group that compared butchering hogs to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and turned America's sweetheart Mary Tyler Moore into Cinderella's stepmother, is now encouraging college students to drink beer, not milk.

U.S. Highway 287 cleared for traffic
MEMPHIS - U.S. Highway 287 was clear for traffic at 1 a.m. Thursday after a train derailment at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday in Memphis near the intersection of Texas Highway 286 snarled traffic and forced officials to reroute traffic in Estelline and Clarendon.

Area school bus drivers to compete
Area school bus drivers will compete today in the annual School Bus Road-E-O at the Valleyview Junior High Transportation Center, located at the corner of Hollywood Road and Valleyview Drive. Activities will begin at 8 a.m.

Greater Southwest Music Festival announces winners
The following groups and solo performers won outstanding and first-division marks in the Greater Southwest Music Festival by press time Friday, as submitted by the GSWMF office. More results will run this week in the Amarillo Globe-News.

NC Systems can use collateral money
A federal bankruptcy court in Los Angeles agreed Thursday to allow NC Systems of Amarillo Inc. use of cash set aside as collateral as the company works through its bankruptcy proceedings, the company's Los Angeles attorney said.

City celebrates Cinco de Mayo
Tejano and mariachi music will provide the backdrop for this weekend's celebration of Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican national holiday that has been transplanted to the United States.

Collection gap shows Randall fee flap unresolved
The impasse between the Randall County Commissioners Court and the county's justices of the peace remains unresolved, evidenced by the extremely small amount of defensive driver fees collected by the judges.

Moore eyes Kentucky job
Amarillo Independent School District Superintendent Bob Moore is one of four finalists for a superintendent's position in Lexington, Ky. A selection committee with Fayette County Public Schools interviewed Moore last week.

Amarilloans set to vote on raises
The question of whether Amarillo police officers and firefighters get a 12-percent pay increase is the principal focus of Saturday's election. PM

Editorial: Pan Am bombing trial begins
Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi likely knows nothing about fair trials and true justice, but he is about to witness such an event in a courtroom in The Hague, Netherlands. PM

Letters: Death tax also hits the poor
After reading John Connell's March 23 letter to the editor arguing that we need to save the death tax from the likes of me and other tax abolitionists, I wanted to set the record straight about my part in trying to bury this bad tax. PM

Van Camp: The good, the bad and the ugly of tobacco
Enter "tobacco" into your favorite Internet search engine. I was surprised at the results - more than a thousand hits. Go to a news site, such as CNN (Clinton News Network), search "tobacco litigation" and find 15 Web pages. PM

Letters to the Editor
April 26 was the last day for the Supreme Court to hear arguments in Boy Scouts of America vs. James Dale.

Koufax call pacified Rogers
FORT WORTH - Sandy Koufax is remembered by millions of baseball fans as one of the greatest pitchers - maybe the greatest - who ever lived. Kenny Rogers remembers him simply as a voice in the night who helped him during one of the most turbulent periods of his career.

Texans fare well in Western Championships
OGDEN, Utah - Eddie Stewart of Andrews captured second place in the $10,000 Novice Horse/Non-Pro class of the NCHA Western Championships on Friday. He marked a 215 riding Freckles Aboy.

Two Rattlers to appear at AHS
Today Amarillo Rattlers Eric Anderson and Chad Wilchynski will be at the Amarillo High School Cafeteria from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. eating pancakes with the public.

Investors snag historic Mantle home run ball
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - Yellowed by age, the baseball Mickey Mantle smacked for his 500th home run 33 years ago has landed in the hands of local investors hoping it launches their memorabilia business.

Baseball playoffs proceed; court mulls ouster
CORPUS CHRISTI (AP) - A judge has scheduled a Monday morning hearing on Robstown High School's appeal of a University Interscholastic League ruling ordering the forfeiture of 11 games in District 31-4A play, knocking them out of postseason baseball action because of an ineligible player.

Vaughn's home run in 11th sinks Texas
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Greg Vaughn homered in the bottom of the 11th inning to give the Tampa Bay Devil Rays an 8-7 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night.

Expos 10, Brewers 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Vladimir Guerrero hit a three-run homer and Rondell White nearly hit the ball out of County Stadium as Montreal scored all its runs in the first two innings of a victory over Milwaukee.

Rangers win wild one, 17-16
On a night in which neither team took batting practice because of morning showers, the A's and Rangers combined for six homers, six doubles and 37 hits in the majors' highest-scoring game of the season.

Burton eyes success in front of home crowd
CINCINNATI (AP) - Mark McGwirehitthe longest measured homer in Cincinnati, a 473-foot drive into the upper deck, but Ken Griffey Jr.'s more modest homer led the Reds over St. Louis.

Pacers live to play another day
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Reggie Miller cast an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye when somebody dared to ask if he had won this game for his coach.

Jones drops appeal, opts for penalty
IRVING (AP) - Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on Friday dropped his appeal of charges of interfering with a police officer and will begin serving six months of probation.

Dillas bust out lumber late
Earlier this week Amarillo Dillas manager Daren Brown gathered his pitching staff around and informed them of the magic at the Dilla Villa.

ENMU netters reach regional final
EDMOND, Okla.- The Eastern New Mexico University Zias moved to within one match of advancing to the NCAA Division II tennis championships as they defeated Central Oklahoma 5-2 in the Midwest Regional semifinals Friday afternoon at the Edmond Racquet Club.

How the West has done
FORT WORTH - Rangers manager Johnny Oates knew his team might get off to a slow start this season, what with two rookies, a second-year player and five new starters in the lineup.

Yankee-Orioles game interrupted by protesters
NEW YORK (AP) - The Yankees-Orioles game was interrupted briefly Friday night when eight protesters angered by the arrest of protesters on Vieques Island near Puerto Rico ran onto the field at Yankee Stadium.

Avs focused on finishing Wings in Game 5 tonight
DENVER (AP) - Star of the Little League World Series, Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey's best player, Rookie of the Year in the NHL, clutch performer for the Colorado Avalanche ... Chris Drury is fulfilling every boyhood fantasy.

Matt Williams takes BP
PHOENIX (AP) - Matt Williams had the protective boot removed from his injured right foot on Friday and took batting practice with his Arizona teammates before the game with the San Diego Padres.

Yanks down Orioles in 9th
NEW YORK (AP) - Jorge Posada hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning as the New York Yankees rallied against Baltimore's beleaguered bullpen to beat the Orioles 12-10 on Friday night.

Drury, Avs focused on ousting Detroit
DENVER (AP) - Star of the Little League World Series, Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey's best player, Rookie of the Year in the NHL, clutch performer for the Colorado Avalanche ... Chris Drury is fulfilling every boyhood fantasy.

Angels 8, Orioles 5
BALTIMORE (AP) - Scott Spiezio drove in three runs and Mo Vaughn hit his second homer in two games as the Anaheim Angels pounded nemesis Mike Mussina and beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 Thursday.

Pioneer Days Rodeo underway in Guymon
Rodeo fans in the Panhandle can see some of the best cowboys and cowgirls in the world as the 2000 Pioneer Days Rodeo kicked off Thursday night in Guymon, Okla at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena.

Couple arraigned in torture case
DALLAS (AP) - A suburban couple, both officers with the suburban DeSoto police department, were arraigned on charges of assaulting and sexually torturing a 13-year-old boy who was in their care.

Amarillo.com | 050500
AUSTIN - A law enacted by the Legislature last year allows Randall County to divide into fewer than four justice of the peace and constable precincts, Attorney General John Cornyn ruled. PM

San Antonio residents vote on rail system
SAN ANTONIO - Proponents of a $1.5 billion light-rail plan for San Antonio contend an electric-line transit system would make the air cleaner and the roads less congested.

Feds name building after former Congressman
AUSTIN (AP) - Friends and admirers said it is fitting that a new federal building here be named after the irrepressible and congenial former Congressman, J.J. "Jake" Pickle.

Texas Supreme Court rules on side of HBO
AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that HBO did not libel former Houston Judge Dean Huckabee in 1992 when it broadcast a documentary critical of his court.

Madrid orders review
of state health program
SANTA FE (AP) - Attorney General Patricia Madrid has ordered a review of the health care benefit system for state employees, contending the programs for health and dental benefits do not comply with the state Patient Protection Act.

Love bug computer virus adopts new disguises
The "love bug" that crippled computer systems around the world showed up again Friday cloaked in new disguises, pretending to be such things as an e-mail joke or a receipt for a Mother's Day gift.

ILOVEYOU loves destruction
A software virus that seduced computer users with an e-mail note proclaiming "ILOVEYOU" crippled government and corporate computer networks around the world Thursday and destroyed video files and pictures.

Principal says he was forced to quit
ALAMOGORDO (AP) - The ousted principal whose departure prompted student protests at Alamogordo High School said his resignation was forced, not voluntary.

Aspen cuts off free passes for senior skiers
ASPEN, Colo. (AP) - Colorado's ritziest resort is ending its practice of allowing people over 70 to ski for free, saying the growing number of active seniors is cutting into its profits.

One soldier killed, 26 people hurt in guerrilla attack on Israel
KIRYAT SHEMONA, Israel - Lebanese Shiite Muslim guerrillas unleashed their fiercest rocket attack in nearly a year on northern Israel Thursday, killing an Israeli soldier, wounding 26 other people and raising fears of more attacks once Israel withdraws from south Lebanon this summer.

Decision delayed on resuming Osprey flights
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Marine Corps has put off a decision until at least Sunday on whether to resume flights of the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, one of which crashed in April, killing 19 Marines.

Agreement reached on cotton bill
WASHINGTON - U.S. House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement late Thursday on a bill that will encourage trade for U.S. cotton.

Rebels capture U.N. peacekeepers
UNITED NATIONS - Sierra Leone's rebels were holding an estimated 300 U.N. hostages Friday after seizing a contingent of troops along with its armored vehicles in another devastating blow to U.N. peacekeeping efforts in Africa.

Love bug facts
A computer virus disguised as an electronic love note greeted Internet users around the world Thursday.

Bell marks 30th anniversary of Kent State shooting
KENT, Ohio - As thousands of people watched, a bell tolled on the Kent State University campus Thursday at 12:24 p.m., marking the exact moment National Guardsmen opened fire 30 years ago on anti-war protesters.

Guards didn't know about riot plans
ESTANCIA, N.M. (AP) - Officials at a privately run prison knew in advance that a riot was planned for last Aug. 17, but were told not to warn prison guards, a court affidavit says.

Jobless rate hits 30-year low of 3.9 percent
WASHINGTON - The supercharged U.S. economy pushed the unemployment rate to a 30-year low of 3.9 percent last month. Blacks and Hispanics recorded their lowest jobless rates in history.

Agents track cougar that tussled with man
SILETZ, Ore. (AP) - Government hunters are trying to track down a cougar in the northern Coast Range that got into a fight with a man feeding his neighbor's cats, the first known injury to a person by a cougar in Oregon since 1972.

Mexican candidates hit the road to U.S.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - As the Mexican presidential race grows tighter and more frantic, the top two opposition candidates leave this weekend for campaign trips among people who cannot vote for them: Mexicans in the United States.

Suicide shocks Columbine
LITTLETON, Colo. - A Columbine High basketball star who witnessed last year's bloodbath - losing one of his best friends - hanged himself in his garage as a CD, set to replay continuously, blared a song with the words: "I'm too depressed to go on."

Worst video game ever? Try this
NEW YORK - A video game in which sex-obsessed aliens seek photographs of lingerie-clad models has become a target of outrage and ridicule even before its release on the market.

Judge sends jurors home in Edwards trial
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Jurors in the federal racketeering trial of former Gov. Edwin Edwards were sent home Wednesday, marking the second day in a row that deliberations in the four-month trial were stalled.

New rules for air bags questioned
WASHINGTON - The government announced new air bag standards Friday that seek to improve protection of children and small adults. Critics contend larger adults who don't wear seat belts could be put at greater risk.

Feared former rebels say they hold no hostages in Sierra Leone
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone's feared former rebels insisted Thursday they are holding no hostages, even as international leaders condemned this week's rebel attacks on U.N. peacekeepers in which an estimated 69 people were captured and at least four people are presumed dead.

Big Game riches lure millions
ATLANTA - Americans lined up at convenience stores and joined office pools for a shot at instant riches as the jackpot in Friday night's Big Game drawing swelled to $230 million - the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history.

Rumors abound over next cardinal
NEW YORK - One bishop said the candidate to succeed Cardinal John O'Connor as the man to leadNew York's 2.4 million Catholics has already been chosen - but he won't say who it is.

No more strikes - for now
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - After two days of tit-for-tat attacks that killed an Israeli soldier and two Lebanese civilians, Lebanese guerrillas and Israel said Friday they would hold their fire.

State Commission reprimands former judge in bondage case
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct reprimanded a former state judge Thursday for allegedly tying an assistant's hands behind her back, binding her ankles together, gagging her with a scarf and then watching scenes from "bondage videos" while the woman tried to free herself.

Productivity growth slows, labor costs rise
WASHINGTON - Americans' productivity, a key to future prosperity, slowed to an annual growth rate of 2.4 percent in the first three months of this year while unit labor costs, a sign of inflation pressures, rose more than expected.

Mourners say farewell to Cardinal O'Connor
NEW YORK (AP) - Hundreds of mourners silently watched the start of a four-day farewell to Cardinal John O'Connor Friday, the first day of services held at his beloved St. Patrick's Cathedral.

State eyes federal drought declaration
SANTA FE - Gov. Gary Johnson said Thursday his administration will seek federal aid for farmers and ranchers in southern New Mexico with losses because of the severe drought gripping much of the state.

Four U. of Georgia freshmen indicted in fraternity death
WATKINSVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Four University of Georgia freshmen who survived a car accident that killed another student during a fraternity prank were indicted Thursday on charges of vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter.

Advisory: Take a closer look at that top blood pressure number
WASHINGTON - Millions of Americans don't have their high blood pressure under control, and one reason is that some doctors still believe an old myth that systolic pressure - the top number in your reading - isn't really important, health officials said Thursday.

French police detain 10 after bombings at McDonald's
RENNES, France (AP) - French police have detained a total of ten people for questioning in connection with the bombings last month of two McDonald's restaurants in Brittany that left one person dead, judicial sources said Thursday.

No evidence Israeli spies federal phones
WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI investigated an allegation that Israeli spies had penetrated the White House and other government telephone systems, but more than a year of extensive work found no evidence of any breach, two senior federal law-enforcement officials said Friday.

Man charged with 2 deaths in Oklahoma
ADA, Okla. (AP) - Prosecutors filed two counts of first-degree murder Friday against Ronnie L. Whitehead, who is accused of killing two managers of an Ada surplus store operated in a building he owns.

Psychologists see addiction to cybersex
ATLANTA (AP) - Online sex addiction is a growing epidemic that is tearing partners apart and creating a dangerous new compulsion affecting everyone from housewives to gay men and corporate executives, psychologists said Friday.

Colonel's wife sent to prison in drug case
NEW YORK (AP) - The wife of a U.S. Army colonel who once commanded the military's anti-drug operation in Colombia was sentenced to five years in prison Friday for mailing $700,000 worth of heroin to New York City.

Wyckoff: ASE program helps reduce incompetence
Automotive Service Excellence was first introduced in 1972 with four initial subjects, as an alternative to mandatory licensing of mechanics by either the Federal or state government.